A congressional field hearing on Monday underscored the challenges federal authorities face meeting a Dec. 31 deadline for completion of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than 300 people packed a University of Texas-Brownsville auditorium to hear testimony by opponents and proponents of the proposed 670-mile barrier. Eight U.S. congressmen and 13 witnesses took part in the five-hour forum.
It was organized by U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona to discuss 36 waivers filed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on April 1 to expedite construction. Panelists also debated the merits of the barrier but left with more questions than answers. Neither Chertoff nor the fence’s architects at DHS agreed to attend.
In approving a rider attached to the Real ID Act in 2005, Congress authorized DHS to waive any laws necessary to build the fence.

Ana Gabriela Guevara is back in the sports field. Not as an athlete, but as the Coordinator of Culture in Physical Sports and Health for the Distrito Federal. From her new post, she predicted that the Mexican delegation will not win any gold medals in the next Olympic Games.
For the first time Mexico will not be present in team sports, because not one of the Athens medalist will be back.
“Once I told that you were going to remember me, and unfortunately time is proving me right. We are not going to see any gold medals for our country, maybe not silver medals, and for sure the ones that will be won will be bronze,” the Athens 2004 medalist said moments after taking possession of her position.